(1). Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication support system which is adapted to connect a telephone set through a communication control device to a data processing device and adapted to connect a telephone network to the communication control device, wherein a caller ID from the telephone network is displayed on a display of the telephone set upon incoming of a call. Further, the present invention relates to a computer readable medium which stores program code instructions for causing a processor to execute a caller ID service processing in response to incoming of a call from a telephone network.
Personal computers for home use are becoming widespread. Modems have now been shrunk to a chip size and included more and more in personal computers. The increasing prevalence of the personal computers having a built-in modem makes it easier to access the Internet or other communication networks through telephone lines. In recent years, the telephone lines have been shared by the computers and the telephones.
In recent developments, there is a demand for a useful, advanced communication support system which enables a telephone user to use a telephone set to remotely control the data processing device in order to obtain computer-assisted telephone services. Currently, the computer-assisted telephone services are provided only by locally operating the data processing device, and the telephones and the computers are separately used. Further, it is expected to provide a communication support system which allows the telephone user to easily transmit data to or receive data from other communication media.
(2). Description of the Related Art
In a case in which a caller ID service is provided by a caller ID service provider, a dedicated terminal which is specifically designed for the caller ID service may be used to obtain the caller ID service. If the dedicated terminal is used, a caller ID (and/or a caller name) from the service provider is displayed on a display of the dedicated terminal upon incoming of a call from a public switched telephone network. A user of the dedicated terminal can see the caller ID on the display before the user (he or she) accepts the call and goes off-hook.
Further, a conventional communication support system which is adapted to connect a telephone set through a modem to a data processing device (or a personal computer) and adapted to connect a telephone network to the modem may be used to utilize the caller ID service. If the conventional communication support system is used, a caller ID is displayed on a monitor of the data processing device upon incoming of a call from a public switched telephone network by executing an application program installed in the data processing device. A user of the conventional system can see the caller ID on the monitor of the data processing device before the user (he or she) accepts the call and goes off-hook.
FIG. 31 shows a conventional caller ID service processing performed when the dedicated terminal or the conventional communication support system is used.
The conventional caller ID service processing when the dedicated terminal is used is performed as follows.
As shown in FIG. 31, at the start of the conventional caller ID service processing, the dedicated terminal is started in an idle state (S201). When an incoming call from the telephone network is received, the dedicated terminal detects a caller ID sent by the service provider and displays the caller ID on the display of the dedicated terminal (S202). If a corresponding caller name for the caller ID is stored, in advance, in the dedicated terminal, not only the caller ID but also the corresponding caller name is displayed on the display. A user of the dedicated terminal can see the caller ID on the display of the dedicated terminal before he or she accepts the call and goes off-hook.
When the user picks up the handset of the dedicated terminal, an off-hook signal from the dedicated terminal is transmitted to the telephone network. A connection between the dedicated terminal and the telephone network is established (S203). The user of the dedicated terminal can communicate with the caller in the telephone network by voice.
Further, the conventional caller ID service processing for the conventional communication support system is performed as follows.
As shown in FIG. 31, at the start of the conventional caller ID service processing, the conventional communication support system is started in an idle state (S201). When an incoming call is received, the modem of the conventional communication support system detects a caller ID sent by the service provider and transmits the caller ID to the data processing device (S202). When the caller ID from the modem is received, the data processing device displays the caller ID on the monitor of the data processing device (S202). If a corresponding caller name for the caller ID is stored, in advance, in the data processing device, not only the caller ID but also the corresponding caller name is displayed on the monitor. A user of the data processing device can see the caller ID on the monitor of the data processing device before he or she accepts the call and goes off-hook.
When the user picks up the handset of the telephone set of the conventional communication support system, an off-hook signal from the telephone set is transmitted to the telephone network. A connection between the telephone set and the telephone network is established (S203). The user of the telephone set can communicate with the caller in the telephone network by voice.
Currently, the use of cordless telephones has become widespread, and a user of a cordless telephone is not necessarily able to see the display of the dedicated terminal or the monitor of the personal computer upon incoming of a call. If the user wants to know who has called him or her before accepting the call and going off-hook, he or she must go nearby the dedicated terminal or the personal computer. This is inconvenient for the user of the cordless telephone in the conventional communication support system.